Supply and Demand
by Elle Gardner
Summary: Daryl and Carol hop on the bike and take a supply run. Daryl is skeptical at first, but Carol sets him straight. This is simply meant to be funny and also a set up to be used in another story I am working on. Rated T because, well, despite the setting there is no smut. This takes place after the fall of the farm, before they find the prison.


They had abandoned the farm two days ago, everyone was still reeling from the insanity of it all. The heard of Walkers, the fire, people lost and leaving without being able to pack anything up. They were starting from scratch and it was hard on all of them. They had regrouped a few miles down the road and they came up with a short term game plan of finding a place to stay for a few nights while they scavenged to restock supplies that they had left behind. There were about a dozen of them now, too many mouths to feed. Daryl had offered to go scouting, not only to find the much needed supplies but to get away from the crowd of people, too many people in one house, it was getting to Daryl.

He watched Carol, she was getting restless too. She tried to find ways to be useful but there was really nothing for her to do with minimal supplies. She had already stripped the house for every bit of goods it had to offer, stale food, some clothes to go around, an expired bottle of aspirin and a bit of lamp oil that was tucked away in the basement near some much needed tools. She was in the garage when Daryl came around. "Wanna get outta here for a while?" He had watched her work before he spoke and he startled her. She was usually so aware of her surroundings, it made him laugh when she jumped.

"Christ Daryl," She laughed at herself and wiped her hands on her pants. "Where ya goin?" She really didn't care, she just had to get out of the chatter and depression that was this house. She was grabbing her jacket before he answered.

They hopped on his bike and Rick watched as they pulled out of the driveway. He worried that it might be the last time he saw either one of them, never knew anymore. The farm had taught them that hard lesson in spades. Daryl had strapped down a few necessities, a duffle bag, bolt cutters, a small machete and a few other essentials for such a trip. Daryl turned south, they had seen a little bit of a town when they came through, they'd be mobile enough on the bike for Daryl to be comfortable. She held on at his hips, he wasn't going fast enough to justify wrapping her arms around him. He pulled into a gas station that they were sure had been picked clean but they had to scrounge anyways. A few packs of cigarettes and a book from behind the counter. Lori had been looking for something new to read so Carol grabbed it.

They were driving past a service road with a broken down sign at the top of the street. Carol read the sign, tapped Daryl's hip and pointed. He shook his head. She couldn't hear him laughing but he shook his head. She hit at his hip a bit harder and pointed down the street. Still shaking his head he turned the bike. Past the manufacturing buildings that all looked well picked over to the end of the street. He didn't like that it was a dead end, but they hadn't seen a walker in ages and they could go off road if they needed to. He turned off the bike and put down the kick stand.

"You picked it women. Lead the way." They got off the bike and he grabbed the empty duffle bag and bolt cutters that were strapped to the back. She looked up at the sign the read "Uncle Danny's XXX" Daryl walked ahead even though he had told her to lead to the grated doors with the chains on them.

Carol smiled as he as he took the lead, he always did. He visually and instinctively swept the area then set out to cut open the chain that held the gates shut. It rattled to the ground and he quickly pushed the gate open. If he was going to make noise it would be all at once. The doors were locked but Carol was carrying a crowbar and used it to smash a side window. She loved to break glass. She smiled as she used the canvas duffle bag to clear away the pointed shards. Daryl entered first with his crossbow ready. It was sunny out but it was dark inside, not a lot of windows in a sex shop. He helped Carol in then waited for her to go after whatever it was she was determined to find in here. He watched as she scanned and squinted, there was light flooding in from the front but she couldn't see the back wall like she needed to.

She rummaged through her shoulder bag and found a flashlight and her favorite bowie knife. She shined the light around the room for him and started to laugh. "You still haven't figured out why we're here have you?"

Daryl was glad that it was dark inside, she couldn't see the childish smirk that came across his face. "Guessin' you got some personal needs that need tendin' to." He sounded more red neck than ever for some reason.

Carol just laughed and started to walk toward the back wall of the store sweeping her flashlight around checking for Walkers or obstacles. She was shocked that no one had thought of raiding this place.

"Edible underwear?" Daryl couldn't figure out what else a sex store might have that would be useful. Maybe she did have some needs that needed tending, she had been alone a long time, they all had. He ignored the tongue she stuck out over her should at him.

Carol stopped at the back wall a very full display of vibrators from floor to ceiling were neatly displaced. In every shape, size and color. Rabbit shaped, dolphin, phallus's that looked real, other that were shafts of metal or plastic. Daryl watched as she reached for the closest one, she took it off the shelf and with her knife she cut through the plastic housing. She held the eight inch, life like looking cock in her hand then unscrewed the bottom and let the batteries fall out to Daryl's feet.

She watched as the math equation clicked in his brain. He scanned the wall then back to the C-cell batteries at his feet. "All of these have batteries in them?"

Carol had a look of satisfaction on her face. She had finally taught the might hunter-gatherer something he didn't know. "Yup. In just about every size too. Though I'd guess most are going to be Double A or C." She grabbed another package and cut open the hard plastic. She pulled out two more batteries. Daryl figured it out quickly. He opened up the duffel bag and put it in the middle of the floor, then he reached up to the highest rack and started to take down every vibrator he could reach, making a pile of them next to Carol. Quickly the pulled down handfuls of vibrators in pink, purple, red, rainbow colored, silver, gold, clear, porn star replicated, average, tiny, and even the obscenely ridiculously sized toy and then they sat next to the bag and began to cut them open and dump the batteries out into the canvas bag. Careful not to cut themselves with the knives or the sharp edges of plastic.

Daryl started to laugh, "Damn women, you are smart." He never knew that sex toys came equipped with their own batteries. He had never bought one in his life, never even thought about it.

"Necessity breeds intelligence." She had been married to Ed for a very long time, a loveless, crap assed marriage that had brought her to her first sex shop years ago. She had figured out they all came with batteries, and though it wasn't something she had cared about at the time, she realized as they were driving by the XXX sign, that this could be a gold mine of supplies if no one else had picked it over.

Daryl worked quickly opening as many packages as he could, then laying the actual vibrator next to Carol for her to wrap her hand around it and open it up. He didn't actually feel comfortable handling them, but he loved what they were pouring out something that would be more than helpful for the entire group and for a while to come.

Carol laughed and Daryl looked to see what had her laughing so much. He raised an eyebrow, and she indulged him. "I really miss this," she held up a medium length, realistic looking toy. "This was my favorite."

"Favorite? How many of these did you have?" He had up a neon orange vibrator that was simply a bullet shaped phallus. It had a rubbery texture and he squeezed it once before adding it to the pile. He tried not to smirk too much but just being in here had made him awkwardly uncomfortable.

"Married to a douchebag for a very long time Daryl, I had my fair share of them." They laughed and talked and she occasionally threw a realistic penis at Daryl to watch him back away. It didn't take long to scavenge through the stock and the duffel bag was almost full. He helped her stand.

Daryl looked around past the racks of naught nurse outfits, dominatrix get ups, school girl skirts, to the wall of BDSM "toys". Whips and floggers, cuffs and collars. He knew what most of the stuff was, but some of it did make him raise an eyebrow in wonder. Carol picked up the bolt cutters and knocked her shoulder into his. "Come on Daryl, let's save this stuff for our second date." She laughed knowing that she was making him uncomfortable. For catching him looking at the array of gear as well as refereeing to this outing as a date. He looked down to his feet and adjusted the crossbow over his shoulder.

He turned to the door and started to walk. "Yeah, think we scored a pretty good haul. But if anyone asks, not tellin' them where we got it." He couldn't even imagine facing Rick and saying that they spend the afternoon stripping vibrators in a porn shop for batteries.

She followed behind trailing her fingers along some of the clothing on the racks. "Whatever you say boss. We can tell them we found a generic battery store." None of the batteries they had dumped into their bag were of a name brand. "They won't ask any questions." Her sarcasm was evident. She didn't care either way of people knew, she just loved that it would make him squirm about to have to talk about it.

They scanned the grounds before they walked through the broken glass, everything was clear. Daryl fastened the bag to the back of the bike and attached his crossbow to the front. As he got the bike ready she adjusted the bulge in her side pocket. She climbed on behind him and smiled, it had been a long time since she had herself a quiet evening with a naughty toy. She knew it was selfish, but she just couldn't resist.

"All set?" He started up the motorcycle and she rested her cheek on his back, he felt her nodding and they were on their way home.


End file.
